Tag Archives: quilting

More QUILTS!

Posted on by

Oh dear.

I’ve gone a little bonkers and bought myself eleven quilt patterns.

No worries, they were about $3 each, so I didn’t break the bank.

They were instant downloads though so I immediately got to look at the directions and plan out my quilts.

First things first, even though Good Fortune won the poll for my upcoming quilt, I’ve decided to go with Birdpond.

Why?

Because there’s not a smidge of pink in Good Fortune and I’m making this quilt for Barbara who LOVES pink.

Also, I think the pattern just makes more sense with the swatches from Birdpond.

And once I see something I can’t unsee it.

Sure, I could make the quilt with Good Fortune but I’d forever be lamenting that there was no pink in it.

I find it rather appropriate that the fabric collection is titled “Birdpond” and the main fabric I am using has hummingbirds on it.

Serendipity!

So it’s settled.

Barbara’s quilt will be made with Birdpond.

Don’t fret about Good Fortune, though.

Ironically, I already have the fabric and I intend to make this zig zag quilt from them:

Also?

I fell in love with another quilt, one made with batik fabrics the color of the rainbow.

I love it so much I needed to get the pattern.

All the fabric costs $75 on Amazon, so it’s a relatively inexpensive quilt as far as ingredients go.

I’ve decided if The Swede and his daughter don’t come to California this holiday break, I will spend my time quilting and binge watching old episodes of NCIS.

Pajamas all day.

Here’s hoping I don’t actually get a single stitch completed on my quilting projects.

I’d rather be with my Swedes.

 

Design input needed

Posted on by

Help me make a quilt.

I’m working on a new quilt after taking a year off from quilting and I’m a bit rusty.

Can you help me by voting for your favorite combination?

I can pair my floral fabric with Tilda’s Birdpond fabrics:

Or I can pair it with Kate Spain’s Good Fortune:

Which one do you prefer?

Tilda’s Birdpond or Kate Spain’s Good Fortune?

Help a gal out here. . .

Luck

Posted on by

I am working on a new quilt.

It’s been a while since I broke out my rotary cutter, cutting board and sewing machine and made something beautiful.

This quilt is called “Bed of Roses.”

It’s absolutely gorgeous, and relatively simple to make.

As is usually the case, the free pattern I have makes a lap quilt and I want to make a QUEEN size quilt.

Usually, I don’t follow patterns.

I make up my own.

Like this wonderful airplane quilt I made for my nephew.

I actually sold the design to a quilt shop in exchange for free long arm quilting.

Although I can do the calculations to size the quilt up, I broke down and actually bought the full size pattern so that I could save myself the trouble of ALL THOSE CALCULATIONS.

Now, the fun part begins – FABRIC SELECTION!

I need 30 fat quarters to create the quilt and it’s gonna be a lot of fun picking out the colors I want.

The trick to making I good quilt, in my opinion, is finding a good cornerstone fabric to work with.

The colors and patterns in that fabric lay the foundation for the rest of the quilt.

I’ve selected these fabrics:

Lots of colors to work with.

Lots of patterns to work with.

And, of course, a simply gorgeous design.

Wish me luck!

I’m a quilter

Posted on by

I am a quilter.

I have no idea WHERE the desire to quilt comes from.

I’m not a particularly PATIENT person.

I don’t think of myself as terribly ARTISTIC.

And yet, I quilt.

I’ve made upwards of 30 – 40 quilts so far.

I’ve given all of them away as gifts to friends, families, and ex-boyfriends.

The things I do when I’m in love.

Oy!

Anyway, as it turns out, quilting may be in my DNA.

The Norwegians have a long tradition of quilting.

And I discovered that the lodge I’m trying to join has a history of quilting:

I’m hoping, should they ever respond to my request to join, that this will work in my favor.

I’m a quilter AND a little bit Norwegian.

Check out some of my quilts (sorry for the bad lighting):

Creativity

Posted on by

I am an event planner.

But BEFORE I was an event planner, in an alternate life, I was a geneticist.

I did genetic research for various companies around the Bay Area.

It was a little bit of magic to see someone’s DNA appear in solution when I was extracting DNA from blood samples.

I’ll never forget how beautiful and delicate those thin tendrils of life were.

Needless to say, my degree is in Biology.

I spent a lot of time in chem lab and microbiology lab.

In order to balance out all the science (AND STAY SANE) I took a lot of art classes: Costuming, Art History, Music, Piano, etc.

The only reason this has any relevance whatsoever is that I struggle in the Burning Man community to release my creative side.

It’s much easier for me to buy something already made than it is to make it.

Case in point: I just bought this PixelBoa for the burn.

I love it and think it’ll be a great night time accessory.

I could’ve tried to work out how to make one.

After all, Tejas is an engineer and could help me navigate the circuits that control the lights.

I could’ve. But I didn’t.

Of course, the notable exceptions to this are my hats.

I’ve made a dozen hats.

And something like forty quilts.

So it’s not like my artistic background is COMPLETELY lost on me.

But I do wonder when I’m going to work up the courage to tackle some big artistic project for Burning Man.

Because when all is said and done, I am VERY CREATIVE. . . for a geneticist!